Ancient
capital of Persia, now located around 50 km from Shiraz&
around 1000 km fom Tehran in Fars province. Persepolis has its name from
Greek, meaning 'City of Persians'.

On top of the rocky mountain
of Rahmat in the plain of Marvdasht, the ruins of
Takht-e-Jamshid palace are pre-eminent. Construction of these palaces
started at the time of Darius I (521 BC) and was not completed in less
than a period of 150 years. Takht-e-Jamshid is registered as a World
Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The entrance of the complex is formed by a two-ramp stairway composed of
110 rather wide and short steps. On top of the stairways is the main
entrance or `The Great Gate`, marked by two statues of a bull with a human
head and a pair of wings. There are two exits, one to the south and the
other to the east. The south exit or gate connects to the Apadana Palace.

Takht-e-Jamshid is 125 thousand sq.m. in area, and is composed of the main
sections:
- Official reception halls and palaces
- Smaller and more private palaces
- Royal treasury
- Private fort and special fortification

Various edifices or palaces that have been built are as follows:
- The Small Palace or the Gate of All Nations
- The Apadana Palace
- The Palace of Darius,(one of the primary palaces constructed on the
Takht-e-Jamshid rock, which was also called the `Tachar` Palace.)
- Hall or palace of a Hundred Columns
- The Semifinished Gate or palace
- Treasury of Takht-e-Jamshid
- The Three Doorway or Consultation Palace or Hall
- The stone well
- Tombs of Ardeshir II and III
- The Palace of Khashayar Shah (called `Hadish`)

Takht-e-Jamshid was set ablaze by Alexander the Great (330 BC) after which
only ruins have remained. From these ruins, the Apadana Palace, at the
main entrance, with 36 columns and three balconies (12 columns in each) in
the north, south and eastern sections of the palace have been remained.
The northern and eastern terraces are connected to the gardens opposite.
The height of the platform in the Apadana Palace is 16 m. and the height
of its columns is 18 m. Back to
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